To ask the Minister for Infrastructure (i) whether a Rural Needs Impact Assessment has been carried out in relation to DFI Eastern Division’s decision to direct elected representatives to use the online portal for enquiries, given concerns that the mapping system does not reliably identify or locate particularly rural roads in search functions; and (ii) to detail any steps her Department will take to ensure that rural constituents are not disadvantaged by this system.

My Department, particularly the Transport and Roads Asset Management teams, receive a very high volume of correspondence each year from members of the public and elected representatives. It is not the Department’s intention to reduce engagement or accessibility, and I want to be clear that direct contact with the Department will continue where issues are complex, ongoing, or would benefit from local knowledge and discussion.

Where an initial report is acknowledged and routine correspondence is closed on the system, that does not prevent follow-up on the underlying issue. Elected representatives can seek confirmation of inspection outcomes, prioritisation and anticipated repair timeframes through the relevant Divisional Roads Office, and I have asked officials to ensure that such enquiries are actively managed and that clear updates are provided where needed.

At Ministerial level, I am aware of the difficulties faced by the department in the recruitment and retention of civil engineers into specialist posts within the organisation and am pressing ahead with measures to strengthen delivery, including ongoing recruitment to key frontline and supervisory roles where vacancies arise, reviewing how section offices prioritise and programme defect repairs, and tightening quality assurance around correspondence handling so that acknowledgements and subsequent updates are accurate and consistent. These steps are already underway and improvements in responsiveness should be evident as recruitment campaigns conclude and as revised processes embed over the coming months.

In relation to rural areas, a Rural Needs Impact Assessment has not been undertaken by Eastern Division, as rural roads are fully included within the mapping system used by the portal. Defects can be reported using road names, postcodes or GPS locations, and where an exact point is difficult to identify, additional descriptive information can be provided to assist officials in locating the issue. These features are intended to ensure that rural users are not disadvantaged and that reports can be acted upon effectively.

I want to reassure Members that the Department remains committed to maintaining open lines of communication and to resolving issues as promptly as possible, while making best use of available systems to deliver an effective and responsive service across all communities.